Detecting Duplicate Contacts
Qomon automatically checks whether a contact already exists in your database when a new contact is added (via imports, forms, petitions, creation on the mobile, etc.). Depending on the information available, Qomon will either:
merge the contact automatically (when the duplicate is confirmed), or
mark the contact as a potential duplicate, so it can be reviewed in Qomon’s duplicate scanner
🔍How are duplicates detected?
Qomon checks contacts uploaded via import or created from the mobile app using specific matching conditions. A group of contacts will be automatically merged when they match any of the following criteria:
Last name (or marital name) and date of birth
Last name (or marital name) and phone number
Last name (or marital name) and email address
Last name (or marital name), first name, street, and house number
Last name (or marital name), street, house number, different first names, and same gender
Last name (or marital name), street, different house numbers, and same first name
If contacts do not match these criteria, they may be marked as potential duplicates, which can be reviewed and merged through Qomon’s dedicated deduplication tools.
📝How are duplicates detected in Forms and Petitions?
When a contact is created via a form or a petition, Qomon relies on the email address to detect duplicates.
Automatic merge (same email)
If a supporter submits a form or signs a petition using an email address that already exists in your database:
Qomon recognizes this as the same person
the contact will automatically merge into the existing contact
Potential duplicate (different or misspelled email)
If the supporter:
uses a different email address, or
fills out their email address incorrectly
Qomon cannot confirm for sure that it is the same contact. In that case:
a new contact will be created
and may be marked as a potential duplicate, which you can review and merge manually.
✅What happens when two contacts automatically merge?
When Qomon automatically merges two contacts, no history is lost. All activities and existing data remain accessible.
Contact updates
If the incoming contact contains a value in a field that is already filled on the existing contact, the value may be updated. For example:
Existing contact: First name = Kathleen
Incoming contact: First name = Kathy
After merge: First name becomes Kathy
This applies to both:
default fields (name, phone number, etc.)
custom fields
No data deletion
Qomon will not delete existing information during a merge. If the incoming contact has an empty field, it will not overwrite existing data. For example:
Existing contact: Phone number = 905 683 1234
Incoming contact: Phone number is empty
Phone number stays unchanged
📋 More help or full instructions?
Check out: How to merge duplicate contacts – a complete step-by-step guide to using the deduplication tool.
